Week 34 – July 4, 2015

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and is going to enjoy some good fireworks! I honestly don't even know where this last week has gone. It truly has just flown by and has been jam packed with all sorts of different things!

Last Sunday, June 26th, we met the two sweetest sisters, Claudia and Alyssa (they're Vietnamese). They have been coming to sacrament meetings the last couple of weeks and this week after sacrament we were finally able to catch them before they got out the door. We were able to have a quick mini lesson with them. They want to be taught the lessons, the only problem is they both have crazy work schedules so we are just going to have to prayer that somehow, some time will open up so we will be able to teach them. They both are so ready to receive the blessings of living the gospel.

On Monday, the 29th, Sister S. and I spent a good chunk of time walking around campus trying to contact, but seriously we felt like we were in a zombie movie because NO ONE was around. Honestly, it was almost a little creepy feeling. When we started walking back we met Alex. He was weeding in his little vegetable garden so we offered to help and the next thing we knew we were down in the dirt teaching him! It was great! Hopefully, we will be able to see more of Alex in the future! He seemed like a pretty cool guy and he did throw down a beat for us right then and there about weedin' in the garden—it was pretty sweet!

That night Karem and Jarron totally spoiled us to what they call "FOOD OF DOOM". I guess each missionary that comes through the area gets a special meal prepared just for them and tonight was my night! They didn't tell us anything, it was a total surprise, but they did tell us to come dressed in bright colors... so you know how we are, we took that very seriously and came totally prepared for the occasion! Well, so it turned out that Karem and Jarrom decided to make me my very own "Candy Land"! How cool is that?! It was so stinkin' cute! They didn't mess around- they went ALL out! The decorations were fun, the food was absolutely delicious, and the companion couldn't have been better! Thanks for spoiling me guys!

Welcome to Larson Candy Land!

The cupcake looking things are actually meatloaf with mash potatoes on top with a baby tomato. How cute is that? And boy were they YUMMY!

Following our colorful path the the dinner table.

For FHE that night the ward carved watermelons. They broke up in ten different teams and went to town. It was so cool to see the different things they came up with! My personal favorite was the shark.

Check our that carved watermelon. BAM!

While all the carving was going on Sis. S. and I were in the other room meeting with Dixon. He had called us up earlier and asked if we could meet. We didn't really know what he wanted to talk about. Long story short, he wants to stay in the singles ward! And I'm not going to lie... WE ARE SO STOKED!!! The entire ward loves Dixon. In fact, half the ward thinks he is already a member! He is at the institute everyday and is always doing something with someone from the ward. So it looks like Dixon is going to be in the singles ward after all, at least for the next few months :)

Tuesday, June 30th, Sis. Steadman and I had to get creative! (Nothing new there). We had like five hours of contacting ahead of us and it was going to be long so we had to think of something to help get us through the next five hours. So while we were walking the streets (we CAN'T knock doors here) we tried to see how many different license plates we could find from different states. I think we got to 28! Oh yeah—we're good! I think now we have seen over 35, and have pictures of 32 of those. We are shooting to hit all 50!

Zoua took us out to Annie's Parlor. It is a very well know burger and malt shop here in Dinky Town. It was good, but I have to say my heart still belongs to Snuffy's. Now speaking of Annie... I need to give a shout out to my best Annie back home! She had her baby boy on June 15th. His name is Cole Dylan Burbank and he is a cute as ever! I love you Annie and know you and Chase are going to make wonderful parents! Cole is one lucky little guy!

Annie's Parlour.

Our last appointment for the night was to teach Iris at Lilly's. Lilly is 18, got baptized just a year ago, and is here for the summer doing an internship. We talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy. It was a great lesson and the best part is Iris is going to be able to come to church for the first time this Sunday! And we are all going to fast together to help Iris gain her own testimony of the church and know if baptism is the next step for her. Yay!

Wednesday, July 1st, we had our district meeting and after went out to lunch. We have a brand new elder who just got here last week from the MTC. It's crazy to think I once was that new missionary. That feels like that was so long ago. My district bumped into Dave—such a good guy. He is homeless, but he is doing what he can and I LOVE that about him! Best of luck my friend!

My district ran into Dave. Dave lives on the streets and is known for the umbrellas he makes. He has people write all over them and then he donates them to a fundraiser to help other. He is working on his 64th umbrella right now.

Tonight we had a lesson with Dixon and President Forbes actually joined us. It was the first time I have ever had President Forbes in a lesson with me. That night when we got home we got a text from Sister Forbes and this is what it said, "President said you did an outstanding job tonight. You were well prepared with scriptures and the lesson was well presented. He also said, that you taught with the spirit and he could not have done it better." Wow- what a compliment coming from our Mission President!

On Thursday, the 2nd, we met up with Dixon for lunch at Potbelly's. There has been some interesting things going on with Dixon as he has been preparing for baptism, but it has been so cool to see how Dixon is fighting Satan, head on! He has one of the strongest testimonies of anyone I have EVER met! He is going to be able to serve in so many different capacities—I can't wait to see what Heavenly Father has in store for him! If only we could all be more like Dixon!

We helped Catherine and Hung (our neighbors) do some more weeding. Their yard is amazing and there is always work to be done. We are trying to follow Ammon's example and serve with love hoping that one day we will be able to share our message with them. They are wonderful people and we have loved being able to get to know our neighbors—it's kinda fun especially since we live in the city!

Contacting today we were able to meet a couple different really neat people. One of them was Victor. After we shared the story of Joseph Smith with him and said a prayer he told us he doesn't normally walk home that way, but he had a feeling he needed to walk home this way today and that he felt like it was because he needed to meet us. Love it! And I love that he recognized that! Way to follow the spirit, Victor!

We had dinner at the institute with Becky and Jake tonight. After cleaning up we were able to help God preform a miracle. Check this out... so this random guy came walking into the institute building. He was clearly older that a college age student and he didn't look so good. He came in and told us his name was Mike and that he needed to get home to get his medicine. We sat down and had him explain what was going on. Apparently, he was trying to get back home and he didn't money for his bus ticket. It was $57 and he only had $17. We ended up saying a prayer with Mike and getting him some much needed water (he said he didn't want any food). And then I decided to make my rounds and see what I could round up to help Mike get the money he needed to get home. There were four people there so I went and asked each one of them if they had any money they could spare to help with the situation and get each them put in ten dollars. They gave us the exact amount we needed to get Mike home! We gave that to Mike, said one more prayer of thanks, and Mike was on his way. The neat part was that they all just happened to have $10 cash on them. It hard to find anyone with cash on them nowadays. And two of the girls we asked both shared separately how earlier in the day they felt like they needed to put $10 in their wallets. How neat is that? They both were prompted by the Holy Ghost and listened and followed his promptings. Wow! Talk about a true miracle!

Yesterday, Friday, July 3rd, Sis. Steadman and I helped serve lunch at "People Serving People" (a homeless shelter downtown). We are so blessed! Helping others who are in so much need is very humbling. I grateful for all that I have! And Mom and Dad I hope you both know how truly grateful I am for you and for the way you raised me. It is so heartbreaking to see the way some of these children are being brought up now days. You are wonderful parents. I love you!

After serving lunch, we played with some of the kids outside for a while. We taught them the "Macarena" dance and told them that was a dance from back in the day ;) The one little boy said he liked old school style so I guess we're in with him now. ;) We also taught them a clapping game and a few other things. We all were having so much fun together!

Then yesterday afternoon, we met with Moe. Now I think I mentioned Moe works at the restaurant on the corner of our street. We see him everyday and we just love Moe! Well, last week we gave him our card and told him if he ever needed help to give us a call. Since that day we haven't seen Moe at the shop. But Friday morning, he called us and asked if we could meet somewhere privately and talk. We ended up meeting him at the institute. He told us how he has been having a lot of personal problems lately and is actually no longer working at the store. He told us he has been wanting to call us the last couple of days, but hasn't been able to get himself to. He went on and said, that he has had a hard time sleeping and last night he couldn't sleep at all and that in the morning he had the strongest feeling he needed to find our card and call us. So that is exactly what he did. We were able to listen to this grown man pour out his heart to us. We then told him that there were people in the church that could help give him support and counsel (Bishop, employment specialist, etc.) and then we had the elders come and give him a Priesthood Blessing. The Church is truly amazing! I have such a strong testimony of how it is set up! This truly is Christ's Church and He knows exactly how it needs to be run. We are so blessed to be members—we must NEVER take that for granted!

This morning we got a text from Moe and you will be happy to hear that he slept like a baby last night ;) I have know doubt Heavenly Father was blessing him!

Alright well I think that about sums it up for this week, until next week...
Have less. Do more. Be more.
I love you!

-Sister Larson
Revelation 3:20

Some say we make great Walmart Missionaries ;) 

Just hanging out with Goldie the Gopher (the school mascot).
 

Trev, I got this pizza just for you! It is a macaroni and cheese pizza! How about that?!